Residents of Downtown Racine's new Harbor at State and Main are singing its praises

By Michael Burke
The Journal Times, December 15, 2007

RACINE — The Harbor at State and Main streets, Downtown’s nearly $20 million residential-retail development, was built for “zoomers” like Jan Cekan.

The Harbor at State and Main, named for the intersection it hugs, was completed and christened in August. The four-story, 107-unit project is considered a Downtown “anchor” partly for its location, and also because its residents will be counted on to enliven the business district.

From the outset, Madison-based developer Gorman & Co. built the residential/retail project to draw a community of “zoomers.” The term refers to people age 55 and older who are still active, have disposable income and want to be part of a vibrant urban scene.

Cekan, 69, who moved into the Harbor several weeks ago, fits that description. She volunteers at Planned Parenthood, belongs to a book club, goes to the Racine Public Library often and isn’t a bit deterred by a little walk.

“Two miles is walking distance,” Cekan said.

After living in Chicago all her adult life, she came to the Racine area upon retirement, to be near other family members. Cekan chose Fountain Hills; it was quiet, but not her cup of tea and too far from her many activities.

“Everything I do is Downtown,” she said.

When she was ready to move, she wanted to get back to city living. Now she’s rubbing elbows with people more like her.

“That’s what I like about this place: It’s an apartment building — it’s not an old-folks’ home,” Cekan said.

She said she loves the building’s amenities including the exercise room, theater and computer room.

Her second-floor apartment overlooks Root River.

“It’s like a painting,” Cekan said about her view.

Catching on

According to Chris Laurent, president of Gorman’s Wisconsin area, the Harbor at State and Main is filling up at a satisfactory pace. He estimated that two-thirds to three-quarters of the 84 apartments have been taken.

The top floor is all condominiums; eight of the 23 condo units have been sold. Laurent was confident that more sales will come after the holidays.

State and Main — driven by a $7.5 million tax credit boost from the Wisconsin Housing Economic Development Authority — is Gorman’s third Racine project, following the Belle Harbor Loft Apartments and 100-unit Mitchell Wagon Factory.

As a concept, State and Main’s unusual mix of condos, apartments and retail space has other communities interested, Laurent said.

“This mix of components resonates with a lot of communities,” he said. “We’re excited about using what we have learned in Racine.”

For example, he said Gorman & Co. is working in La Crosse on a similar, although slightly smaller, project. It will have a transit (bus) center and some retail on the first floor, 67 apartments in the middle and 15 condos on the top floor.

He said La Crosse officials view the project as a catalyst for further downtown development.

Out of the woods

Mary Ann Pulliam, 76, most recently lived in Lake Oaks on Lake Michigan, next to the DeKoven Center. She came to the Harbor on Nov. 3.

“I like being Downtown — except we don’t have a grocery store,” she said. Then Pulliam was pleasantly surprised to hear that Downtown Racine Corp. is working hard to land a grocery store for the vacant corner immediately south of State and Main.

“I like the building, I like my apartment, I like my neighbors ... and it’s a pleasant view (out her windows),” Pulliam said.

One of these weeks she’ll be joined by Jim and Barb Kardos, who have rented a 1,248-square-foot corner apartment at the Harbor but are still trying to sell their Caledonia home.

Barb said they had reserved a unit at Pointe Blue but got tired of waiting for that proposed project to happen. Then her daughter suggested they take a look at State and Main.

“I said, ‘I wouldn’t live down there for nothing,’ ” Kardos said. She figured it would be too loud after their woodsy current setting.

But Jim, 78, led the way, and Barb, 75, came around.

“We just got a tax bill for $4,700, and we won’t have that anymore,” she said. “Or a sewer bill or heating bill — or the cost of hiring someone to cut the grass.”

She said Jim likes the idea of being close to festivals and other events.

“Where we live (in Caledonia), I would never get up to do that stuff,” Barb said.

The hardest thing to give up, she said, was Jim’s regulation pool table.

“He found that very hard to give up,” Barb said.

But he finally did. The couple gave it to their daughter, who can count on regular visits from Dad.

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